h o w l
by Rinusagitora
Summary: Two-shot. HitsuKarin, minor KiraHina, IsshiMasa, and Ichihime. Dragon hunter!AU. Rated M for NSFW content and explicit violence. /As a part of the Kurosaki clan of dragon slayers, it was her duty to kill him. But she really didn't want to, and destiny didn't seem to either./
1. Part 1: Rebellion

**A/N: So I received this request back in... like... November, and I've finally finished it. It's 10000 words and 2 parts. Hopefully I haven't set any standard I can't hold up.**

 **At any rate, enjoy.**

* * *

Her knees hurt like a bitch, she thought. She'd kneeled on the stone steps before the altar for at least an hour then- no, _Uryuu,_ the old drapes were hardly cushions and the other hunters agreed, find a damn rug-, murmured Yhwach's prayer under her breath in its entirety. She amazed herself that she even memorized it, since it was more like one of those tales bards told in the tavern every week rather than a prayer it was so long. Normally, only the first verse was recited before a hunter ventured out, but her enemy then was far more powerful than she had originally anticipated. Over two years, all their battles ended in a draw. Toushirou Hitsugaya, ice dragon extraordinaire, was stronger than she cared to disclose, and she needed extra support from the god of dragon hunters himself.

She heard the church doors open then yet she didn't stop her prayer- if she did she would've had to restart and she cared more for her knees than to do so- and she heard another hunter kneel beside her. She opened her eyes minutes later and saw her mother pray beside her, and she frowned.

"Mother, answer me something." She said.

"Of course."

"Has there ever been a record of a human falling in love with a dragon?"

She watched as her mother's shoulders drooped. "Unfortunately," she replied. "The girl was mislead, however, and she realized her mistake and corrected it. Why do you ask this, my daughter?"

"Curiosity,"

"Well, don't be curious of such things. Somebody may get the wrong idea, Karin, and you can be executed under simple suspicion." Her mother stood. "I came to tell you that _they've_ been spotted by the lake. Good luck, my dearest. Bring me home their head."

She stood and brushed off her trousers, then turned on the ball of her foot and strode out of the cathedral into the early March air and broke into a run for the forest.

She hoped then that Yhwach's prayer and her mother's blessing would've been enough to smother the odd sensation she had whenever around her enemy; how her heart hammered against her ribs and her blood sloshed around in her limbs in ways that felt like it tugged her towards him, how she almost sang whenever she finally laid eyes upon him and how she looked forward to their fights as if it were her ascent into Heaven. And it was strange, she thought, how something so beautiful was so _wrong._ How they were born to be bitter enemies since inception yet her body ached for his company. It was so wrong, for a dragon hunter to fall in love with their prey, but she hardly could've brought herself to stop.

She emerged from the woods and briefly marvelled at how fast she had become over the years, faster than even the birds. Fast as a wildfire, as fearsome as one too, she recalled her sister-in-law's description of her.

She was tackled then, and she shrieked as she rolled through the snow with the swift mass. She kicked it off her and jumped to her feet, drew her broadsword and swung blindly, and she heard metal on metal and watched as sparks flew from between the connection of her iron and bejewelled draconian gold bracelets, and a smirk stretched her lips as she was met with jade eyes.

"It's been too long, Toushirou!" She spat as she hitched her leg up and kicked her wooden sole into his gut, and he back-pedalled. "How has my favorite son of a bitch been?"

She watched as Toushirou in a shrub and raked back his snowy hair with his claws, and he glared at her through his lashes.

"Well, I wasn't in pain before I saw you, so far better." He snarled.

"You flatter me so." She purred, and she mentally stamped out the familiar feeling that boiled in her gut. "Allow me to thank you!"

She sprinted at him, and he straightened and swiped at her with his talons. She ducked and slid behind him, and he spun on his toes and slammed his knee into her ribs. She grunted as the breath was knocked from her, and she landed on her back and quickly rolled to her feet. She swung her broadsword, and he ducked in a split second and swiped at her belly, and he yelped as she stomped on his hand. She jabbed at him, and somehow in the small space he had, he evaded her sword until he pulled his hand out from under her and consequently threw off her balance. She teetered, flailed her arms, and he grabbed the back of her knees, pulled her legs out from under her, and threw her yards away. Whilst she flew, she threw her sword like a javelin and pinned him by his robe to a tree. She connected with the trunk of another, choked as her head knocked against it and stars burst in her vision. She fell to the ground and quickly rose to her feet, and her knees wobbled just a bit as she spat blood onto the slush she stood on.

"Finally got you, you dragon bastard." She smirked triumphantly. She stumbled over to him, pulled open her coat and unsheathed a thin dagger from her hip, and she lifted his chin with the tip. "Any last words?"

"Sure, just that you're simply gorgeous." He smirked, and her eyes widened as his chest ballooned, and he _screamed,_ and she was thrown back by the force. He was before her in moments, and with a whip of his tail, she was thrown over the lake. She fell, broke through the ice and her muscles seized in its shock as she was submerged in gelidus water.

She sunk like a boulder, the cold seemed to crush her chest, and she watched as blood leaked from her lips in wispy tendrils. She would die, she thought as the water flooded her lungs, she would die in those icy waters by that dragon she so loved, and even in her regret that she loved him, she couldn't hate him.

Her eyes drooped shut then, she was tired, and she bet it was oxygen deprivation. Just a few minutes, she thought, and she would be dead.

She felt the water rush past her then, felt lighter and lighter, and she broke through the surface and spit up water. She breathed slowly after she was sure she'd nearly hacked up a few organs, and she slowly opened her eyes. Toushirou on the lakeshore beside her, gazed at her with such concern that it alarmed her.

"Wh-wha-t-t i-in-n-n He-Heav-ven's g-good n-name-" She stammered as the cold wracked through her body in tremors, and he picked her up and shot into the air, and she shrieked as her arms flew around his neck. She watched the evergreens whizz by underneath her, and before her vertigo made her ill she buried her nose under his chin.

He came to rest in a cave in the side of the mountain, and he helped her out of her frozen garments, wrapped her in a thick blanket, and started a fire. She watched as he threw her clothes beside it, and he pulled her to the stone floor and held her close to him as she shivered. She pressed herself as close to his warmer body as she could've, curled her fingers under her jaw and buried her face against his collar, and he rubbed up and down the length of the blankets.

"Wh-why?" She squeaked, and he hummed indifferently.

"No point in life, I suppose, if the only thing that brings you joy is dead."

"I-I don-n't un-nderstand."

"Just rest." He whispered.

She pulled her face from him and glowered her lashes, and she watched as he rolled his jade eyes.

"Fine, don't then."

"An-ns-swer my quest-tion." She stuttered.

"Rest," he retorted, and she tucked her face into his shoulder and bit him, and he squawked. " _Ow,_ alright! I'll elaborate! What are you, a puppy?"

She pulled back and smirked triumphantly.

He sighed then, pursed his lips in a tight line as he thought in silence. "... I suppose it could be construed as love, but every time I'm around you, every time I look in your eyes, I feel this rush of adrenaline I haven't felt elsewhere. When I'm with you, I feel alive, fresh, purposeful. And I'm not a noble around you, I'm nobody important or noteworthy. I'm your enemy, the same as the rest of the dragons. It's liberating." He explained.

She blinked slowly as he stared shamefully averted his eyes. She wasn't sure how so felt outside of apprehension and fatigue; disbelief perhaps, but also a sense of solace.

She opened the blanket then and wrapped him in it with her despite it, and he wrapped his arm around her waist as she tucked her knee between his legs and splayed her fingers across his chest. She laid a sloppy kiss on him then, and she felt him stiffen in his initial surprise before he eased into it.

"Now sleep, try to get some rest." He whispered.

She closed her eyes and allowed his warmth to wash over her as she drifted asleep.

* * *

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up and scrambled to her feet as her gaze darted about in her initial fright of being in an unfamiliar area. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found Toushirou behind her as he combed out his hair.

"Your clothes have dried." He said, and she found them folded beside the fire and her sword atop them.

"I suggest you go home before my clan sends out a search party for me, if they haven't already, that is. They'll make escape difficult for you." She said as she dropped the blanket and dressed.

"I believe you. If I wanted to see you again, preferably sooner rather than later, where could I find you?"

"Eager, much?"

"You're in love, I'm in love, I'd like to make the most of it before I die."

"As much as I'd love to- and I'm sincere when I say that, Toushirou-, we could both be executed by either of our clans if our affair is discovered. And… and I'm not willing to risk that. I can't-," she sighed and averted her eyes.

"A noble hunter, scared of adhering to her beliefs? How did I ever fall for somebody so pathetic?" He snorted, and she furrowed her brow. "Not to mention it was _you_ who kissed _me._ I just assumed that you would want the same."

"Fine, but let's at least think about this beforehand. If we decide to desert our people, we can never return to them. We'll never be able to go home to our families." And she wasn't sure how strong she was for that. She loved her family more than anything, would've died for them before her duties, and as Masaki aged she would need help to take care of herself.

He walked to her then and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Meet me by the lake in three days. If you're not there by nightfall, I'll assume you've jilted me. And we'll go back to the status quo." He whispered, and her knees felt weak- he looked at her so _tenderly,_ like she was as precious as the gold he adorned, and she felt weak because of it.

"I'm… alright, I'll at least consider it." She pushed him away and turn on the ball of her foot. He grabbed her wrist then, spun her around and wrapped his arms around her waist, and he buried his face in her neck.

"Toushirou?" She inquired.

"Just… one more thing." He murmured. "I apologize for almost killing you."

She smiled softly then as her heart melted, and she wound her arms around his trunk. "I apologize for everything I've ever called you."

"I'll consider them endearments." He replied, and she chuckled with him, rocked as he held her. "I hope I see you soon. I do." He breathed.

She blinked back tears then, and she pushed away. She left the cave and may as well have slid down the side of the mountain, and she was at its base in due time, and she laid still for a moment as she listened. True to her assumption, there was a search party out for her, she heard their voices in the distance. She flew to her feet and screamed for them, and she eventually found the party miles from the mountain, and she grinned as her brother saw her.

"Finally you're here. I was worried sick, I hope you know." He said as they ran to each other.

"Oh please, did you really think I was dead? I'm offended." She responded as she hugged him, and her brother pushed her away then and patted her down.

"Did that beast hurt you? I swear if it did, I'll have its head myself and mount it above my bed." He worried, and she swatted his hands away in her initial irritation, but she repressed it as she humored her brother.

"No more than I injured him." She shrugged then.

"We shouldn't expect any less from Karin." Gerard chirped, and he slammed his hand into her back. If she wasn't as sturdy as she was, she thought, he would've bruised her…

"Are you sure, Karin? Dragons are ruthless, it would've had no qualms hurting you."

"Well, he did knock me into the lake, but he saved me? It was… surreal." She shrugged then- it _was_ still a little surreal-, and he brother and the other hunters in the party gasped.

"Karin, that's so dangerous! What if it comes back and says you owe it your servitude? You're honor-bound to repay your debts."

She frowned then, and her heart lodged itself in her throat. Toushirou's confession seemed so _sincere_ , she thought, and he didn't seem deceitful when she left the cave- he'd looked at her as if she was better than draconian gold. But Ichigo… her brother was a seasoned hunter, he'd killed many dragons in his time, he'd even done sting operations once or twice. He knew dragons better than almost anybody.

But… Toushirou was so _authentic._ He could've let her drown, but he saved her. It would've been much easier if he just let her drown, but he didn't.

"As nice as that is, I'm famished. Lead the way home, gentlemen." She brushed past them towards their village. She wasn't sure then, and she didn't want to think of it.

She would've paraded in right through the front if Ichigo let her. She wasn't ashamed to admit her defeats, but her brother lead her through the back and straight to the infirmary. It left her puzzled, but she let it go. She didn't have the energy to bicker with him.

"I'm fine." She grunted, and she slapped the physician's hand away. "Just a few bruises, he's just as wrecked."

"Doctor, she said the dragon saved her. If she's fine physically-"

"I'll call in a healer if you still worry for whatever reason, Master Ichigo. But she has no immediate, life-threatening injuries." The physician said.

"Yes, please. Bring my wife if possible."

At least it would've been Orihime, she thought, instead of a stranger. Hopefully. She didn't like to be touched by many people.

"Why did that beast save your life?" Her brother scoffed, and she wondered if it was a rhetorical question after she soothed the reemergence of her irritation. "Gods, Karin, that scares me. It must want something from you, it's the only explanation. Either that or it did something to you to alter your memory."

She frowned then, insulted. "I'll take his word from what he told me. Don't worry Ichigo, I'm by no means a defenseless maiden, and you know this."

"Yes, but what if it comes for you? We're bound by our honor, Karin. If it seeks for its debt to be repaid then, ethically, you cannot refuse it. And it scares me because what if it… _deflowers_ you without your consent?"

"He didn't mention anything about a debt, or rape for that matter." She snorted. She doubted Toushirou would've saved her just so she could've serviced his masculine whims. If he did enslave her, they wouldn't have been equals and he would've returned to his boring life. She wouldn't disclose that bit to Ichigo though, he wouldn't have understood.

No, she realized, although Ichigo was arguably the most devout to their clan, he was possibly the most prejudiced against dragons- which was ironic in so many ways since his wife was the least prejudiced, she'd even been on the battlefield and healed an injured cub. She was nearly executed for it, she recalled, until Ichigo stepped in and vouched for her. It was their fault; her powers had just been unveiled and were exceptional amongst her peers, so they brought her along for a raid to heal the hunters and was exposed to absolute carnage for the first time ever. It wasn't that she was a traitor she was merely traumatized and coped the best way she knew how; to help a being, he'd argued. Eventually, Ichigo and Orihime married to ensure her safety and loyalty. It wasn't out of love she knew, even if they'd fallen in love over the years, it was merely to protect their clan's most valuable asset-. He hardly even referred to them as individuals. He was the one who led the raids, he was the one who executed captured dragon militiamen, he was the one who perpetuated much of the anti-dragon idealism.

He cared about humans and would do anything for their clan, but he cared for little else. He was so focused on the crimes done by dragons that he refused to recognize humanity's.

Orihime entered the room then, dressed in her long skirt and a nurse's apron, and her caramel hair was tied into a neat bun at the top of her head. "Good afternoon, you two." She said cheerfully as she no less than beamed, and the worried atmosphere seemed to melt away with her presence. Her sister-in-law did that, she thought, seemed to cure many ailments with merely a few irrelevant words. Even if her powers weren't as fantastical as they were, she would still be their most valuable asset if for nothing more than her interpersonal skills.

"Hey, Orihime," she mumbled as her sister-in-law strode over to her.

"Welcome home, Karin. I'm so sorry about your hunt. But worry not, you're far more motivated than any hunter or dragon, I'm sure you'll triumph someday."

"Of course she will." Ichigo snorted. "But that aside, I'm worried she's suffered secondary injuries, especially… um..." Ichigo tapped his temples, and her sister-in-law nodded as she glared at him.

"Let's take care of that then." Her sister-in-law placed her hands over her crown, and the wintery air grew warm around her as Orihime's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she felt heady and energized as Orihime's power spread through her. She breathed a blissful sigh. Even if she was sure she was fine, she loved how Orihime's power felt. A mix of motherly tenderness and the reenergization of a mug full of cool spring water in mid summer.

"You're fine for the most part, Karin. A couple of scrapes that I'd rather let heal themselves but nothing detrimental." Her sister-in-law said.

"See?" She smirked at her brother. "I'm fine. I'm not that helpless."

"I never said you were helpless-"

"Then act like it." She said, and she stood and hugged Orihime then and thanked her and apologized for her brother's behavior. Orihime said it was perfectly fine, she hadn't anything to do then anyway. "I'll see you two at supper."

She meandered toward the church, kicked a pebble as she walked along well-travelled dirt trails. She was… confused. She wanted to live a life with Toushirou, free from the prejudice and death that surrounded her. But she had her duty to her family, to her _mother_ \- she wasn't so inconsiderate, so _selfish,_ as to forget her. And how she would've humiliated Masaki if she deserted, permanently tarnished the Kurosaki name.

She reached the church and paused in front of the door, and she frowned. The church was the embodiment of prejudice, she thought, especially towards dragons. Priests told her time and time again that dragons were horrible and their gods were gods of war. But everything they perpetuated sloshed into the gutters after Toushirou saved her- lies they were, and she couldn't find comfort in lies and hypocrisy.

She turned on her heel then, and her heart fell heavy on her diaphragm. She felt like she'd turned her back on her people, but she couldn't turn her back on her own conscious.

It was supper hours after she wandered, and it was as lively as ever in the Kurosaki household. She retired early to her quarters after Ichigo brought up her fight- her 'injuries' more specifically, to which Orihime firmly stomped on his toes under the table-, and she stripped out of her winter wear into a nightshirt, and she curled up under fur blankets.

She was restless, drifted in the tranquil limbo between lucidity and unconscious; Toushirou's voice a faint echo in her half-dreams and his image branded behind her eyelids. He was her tormentor and her reprieve then, her only anchor to reality and her the only thing that kept her from sleep. She would've cursed him if she wasn't so in love.

There was weight next to her suddenly, and she was smothered with a hand over her lips, and she struggled; reached for her dagger under her pillow until she recognized jade eyes, and she froze. There were several moments of tense stillness before Toushirou released her and sat on his legs between her knees, and she sat up and stared cautiously at him.

"What're you doing here?" She hissed. "We both could be killed if someone found you here."

"I missed you."

"You're a masochist." She snorted softly.

"I'm aware." He responded. "Has anybody-"

"Ichigo believes you wish to enslave me. He hasn't even considered our arrangement." She explained. "I haven't even been suspected of heresy, mostly just been worried on. I swear, this place has no respect for women."

"It's hardly different from draconian society. Women in some regions are little more than breeders to propagate our race."

She frowned then. "Doesn't surprise me." She responded dryly, and she smiled to herself then. "It's strange," she said, "just yesterday we were trying to kill each other, and here we are now, talking like civilized beings."

"It could always be like this, Karin. We could run away together and live happily." Toushirou murmured, grabbed her by her shoulders and fell onto his side and pulled her with him, and she pulled the blanket over them as they lay together. He was cool, she noted, not nearly as warm as her borderline hypothermic self thought. But it wasn't completely unpleasant; he was sturdy- with thick bones and a smooth build, wiry blood vessels just barely visible under his skin.

She pushed away from him then and sat up, raked her fingers through her hair as he followed her.

"Karin?"

"Please leave." She croaked and shuddered quietly. "I can't… I can't do this right now. I'm just-"

There was stillness between them before Toushirou pulled himself from her bed, and he perched in the window, gazed at her through a film of pity, and it boiled her blood nearly. She wasn't nearly so pathetic she needed his commiseration, she thought, and she prepared to tell him just that.

"Kisuke Urahara," he said, and she frowned. "He lives ten kilometers southwest of here, speak with him. Please,"

He disappeared then, and she curled up under her blanket and hugged her pillow to her chest. The proposal was enticive, she thought. She was tired of her culture and its prejudice. But her desertion would've destroyed her family, and she wasn't sure she could've done that. Masaki had already lost her parents, their father, and a child- her _twin_ -, she wasn't so selfish as to leave her mother with even less.

She lay still as it all ate at her, and eventually it bugged her so much that she threw her blankets back and pulled a shawl over herself, and she readied her horse in the stables and rode off. Whoever Kisuke Urahara was, she needed to talk to him. And it was curious, she thought, how similar it felt to when she ran into battle. The dread, the eagerness, how she _yearned_ for him.

She arrived at a large home eventually, though a fortress was more accurate, and she knocked with the bronze ring. The door opened minutes later to a large man, tall with a barrelly chest and braided hair and a thick mustache, and she blinked up at him.

"Are you here to see Master Urahara?" He rumbled, and she nodded slowly, cautious of him, and she wished she would've brought her sword instead.

"Y-yes," she responded. "Please, I need his consultation. It's urgent."

"Follow me then, Miss Karin Kurosaki. Master Urahara is in the drawing room." He bowed at his waist before he turned and walked through the parlor, and she followed behind him, relaxed in the warm manor and nearly shrugged off her shawl. He lead her through halls and several flights of stairs, and she would've spoken if she wasn't so preoccupied, and by the time she thought of something he'd knocked on a door amongst doors that looked exactly _the same_ , and it opened.

Kisuke Urahara stood before her, wrapped in a green shawl and stubble that covered his face. He smiled tiredly at her, and she bowed her head.

"Come on in, Miss Kurosaki. Tessai, do put on some tea for us." Kisuke said.

"Right away, Master."

She followed him in, and they sat in leather-covered chairs, and she squeaked girlishly as she sunk several inches into its plush and hoped he hadn't noticed.

"Right to the point then." He said. "Tell me, my child, what has driven you to seek counsel before me?"

"There's…" she cleared her throat, and it humiliated her that she was about to ask him such. "There's this dragon, and I'm in very much in love with him, and he says he reciprocates my feelings. But because of our natures, it's considered taboo if we were to be together. Master Urahara… why is it taboo? Why do we fight against dragons? If I'm going to be completely honest, Toushirou doesn't seem so horrible. But I just… I don't know. I'm caught between my duties and my desires."

"Perceptive of you." He remarked, and Tessai returned with tea then. "Ah, thank you, Tessai. It smells spectacular."

"I suggest you allow it to steep just a little while longer." Tessai rumbled to her, and she nodded as she gingerly took the mug from the giant with quiet thanks.

"This war has always been about draconian gold." Kisuke said, and she curled her legs to her chest as he spoke. "It's understandable- draconian gold is abundant and it's harder than any modern metals, but still malleable enough to be easily shaped into things like jewelry and tools, and I'm sure you've seen how durable it is in battle. Humans and dragons aren't fighting because of some rivalry, even if this has become one, it's just for resources."

She almost smiled then. If greed was all, then she didn't care about what anybody thought. She wanted Toushirou, and if he wanted her too then she would've left a war of pure selfishness in a heartbeat and never looked back. She refused to stand with corruption.

Kisuke sighed nostalgically then. "Masaki, long ago, asked me the same question. It seems history is repeating itself yet again."

"Sir?" She responded curiously.

"Your father was an honorable dragon, Karin. He was a good friend of mine."

Her eyes widened in her bewilderment. "Excuse me, Master Urahara, I don't understand."

"You aren't aware? No, that doesn't surprise me, dragon hunters are so fascist, of course the affair would be covered up. You would be executed if it was uncovered that you were mixed."

"Sir-"

Kisuke sighed again, sipped at his tea as his gaze rested on the fire before them as if the flames replayed his memories. "It was so long ago, but it's difficult to forget such vibrance. The first time they met was on the battlefield; Masaki was a nurse and she found Isshin- your father- dying alone in the forest. She treated him, guided by fate I'm sure, and eventually they developed a bond and trust that I've never seen since. And then Isshin realized he was in love and came to me blubbering like a child. He kept talking about how he betrayed his people and how sinful he was, and perhaps under normal circumstances he would've been right. But then Masaki came here, guided by fate yet again and found him just as he was leaving, and they decided to run away together. They lived happily for months afterwards with Ichigo from her previous marriage, and Masaki was eventually impregnated with you and your late twin." She watched as his eyelids drooped and his lips downturned. "But they were discovered before either of you were born. Masaki was to be executed, but to spare her and you and your twin, Isshin told Masaki to execute him and reestablish her loyalty to the Kurosaki clan. And she did, couldn't even cry lest she be doubted."

She looked from him to her tea, gripped its warmth as his words squeezed her heart. She'd been deceived most her life- she was told her father died of dysentery before she was born, and though she understood that it was because Masaki wanted to protect her it still stung-, and her entire world crashed around her. The very thing she fought against was part of her, her mother executed her father and she wasn't sure how she felt about that, and she was a murderer for absolutely no reason other than greed.

She laughed bitterly to herself then, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or hurt, but she knew what she would do. "Is… it wrong?" She whispered as she wiped her tears, and Kisuke hummed inquisitively. "A human loving a dragon? Has there been too much hurt for there to be any morality in this? Do I have the _right_ to after all my mother has done for me?"

"There _is_ not ethical standpoint." He responded. "Your feelings, Karin, don't make you a criminal. Your mixed nature doesn't make you an abomination. Those such discriminations are purely cultural standpoints that aren't only wrong, but are obsolete. If you and Toushirou wish to share your lives, then do it. Make history. Achieve what your parents couldn't. It's never too late for change. I'm sure Masaki would understand."

She would've cried again, and she finished off her tea in one go and wiped her eyes before she stood. "I cannot thank you enough, Master Urahara. You've forever changed me." She bowed shortly before she ran out of the manor, and she found Toushirou perched on the fence next to her horse. There was silence between them, a few heartbeats before she threw her arms around his shoulders and nearly toppled him over. He cried out she trembled- she loved him _so much,_ more than the sky above and she would've told him if she didn't cry then-, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I want to run away with you." She whispered.

"That makes me- _dear gods you're crying why are you crying please stop this madness you're not supposed to cry-_ "

"Shut up and hold me, you fool."

He slid off the fence and held her waist under her shawl, and he laid his chin on her scalp. "I love you." He whispered, tangled his fingers in her hair and tipped her head back. Their lips brushed together; gentle, shy, amorous.

They shot into the sky then, and she shrieked as she clung to him. "Toushirou!" She shouted as he flew. "What in Heaven's name do you think you're doing!? My horse is back there!"

"So? You won't need it anymore, I'll fly you wherever we need to go."

"And what if you're hurt!? What then?" She spat, and he rolled his eyes. She sunk her teeth into his bare collar then, insulted and annoyed, and he squawked.

"Ow! Okay, I get it, we can go back and get your horse." He growled, and she kissed his cheek then.

"Thank you, my love." She purred, and she laughed as a blush crept up his tan face.

They would make history, she thought, and bring change to the world.


	2. Part 2: Revolution

**A/N: Woot, final part. There's a little bit of smut in the beginning, just thought y'all should know.**

* * *

They'd found a shack to hide in on the other side of the lake. They fixed it up in under a day, made it livable, even found bedding and blankets under it in a cellar. She fished for the most part, and he gathered winter berries since he was more familiar with plants of the area. They alternated domestic chores like laundry and cooking and washed the dishes used that night together. And she loved it; the routine, the absence of obligation to her clan and how her only responsibility was to survival, how she hadn't had to fight a single day with him, how the animosity created in battle simply whittled away with each day they spent together. She knew Toushirou was hardly bad, she loved him for Heaven's sake, but he only seemed to get better as they grew closer. She was the happiest she'd ever been.

The war, she decided, wasn't only harmful, but it was silly.

She leaned against his shoulder, and she hummed contently then as she curled her legs to her chest. "This is wonderful." She sighed, and she squawked as he toppled them over. She giggled as he pulled the blanket over them, and he settled between her legs and held her. It was spring, mid-April and much warmer. In winter his cool skin was unpleasant, but it hardly mattered then and she looked forward to every night just so she could've held him.

Toushirou kissed down her jaw, and she giggled as he pulled her hips against his, and he was hard, she noted, his member pressed into her abdomen. He pressed their lips together feverishly as heat gathered between her legs, and she tangled her fingers in the hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Please," he begged, and she hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her trousers and pushed them down to her knees, and his mutual eagerness made her hair stand on end. She noted how beautiful he was then and how odd it was that she'd never noticed how broad his shoulders were as he positioned himself between her thighs, and she bit back a giggle as he fumbled, kissed him as he glared at her.

He did eventually manage, and she held onto him as he slowly pushed into her, dug her nails into his back and breathed heavily. He stared intensely at her with his jade eyes alight with lust, and she locked her ankles behind his thighs and smashed her lips against his.

There was a squawk from the doorway then, and he tore away from her as they looked towards the entrance. There stood a dragon woman; clad in immodest rose-red robes the apex of a violet scar visible just below the v of her collar and the material of her skirt was collected to the side of her hip to display the rings of tattoos that adorned her legs.

She watched then as the dragon woman's face contorted as tears streamed down her face, and she scrambled to her feet in her alarm.

"Toushirou, I cannot believe you!" The dragon woman sobbed as she stormed over to them, and she pulled Toushirou up by his robes and pinned him to the wall. "Enemies or not, you haven't any justifiable reason to molest a human girl! I thought you'd know better after Sousuke nearly killed me. Have you any idea how much that damages a woman? Do you!?" The dragon woman threw him across the shack then and sobbed into her hand. "By god, I should've seen it. My own brother, the same garbage as that criminal. I'm still as blind as I've always been."

A blond, one-armed one-eyed dragon wrapped in grey robes and scarlet tattoos the same style as the dragon woman's visible on the edges of his face strode in then, and she watched as he pulled the dragon woman into his embrace. She watched as she pushed him away and padded to her, and the dragon woman held her to her bosom. She was stunned into silence and stillness as she pet her hair consolably, and she stammered uselessly.

"It's alright, my dear. Enemies or not, I refuse to stand by and let an innocent young woman be so violated, even if the perpetrator is my own brother."

"W-with all due respect, i-it was consensual, I swear." She stammered as she finally found her tongue. "Toushirou is my lover, a-and he and I agreed t-to-" a blush crept up her neck then as she thought back to it, and she smiled bashfully.

There was a weighty moment of silence then, and then the dragon woman pushed her away and wiped her tears. "Well, this is humiliating." She muttered as she strode over to Toushirou, and she watched as she hugged him and laid kisses across his cheeks. "I'm sorry, my brother. I jumped to conclusions and persecuted you before I fully knew the situation. I hope you can forgive my foolishness."

"Of course. I understand your reasons, Momo." Toushirou mumbled affectionately, and she curiously raised her eyebrow.

"We wouldn't have had to waste time on melodrama if Toushirou had found his tongue." The blond dragon chirped, and she watched as Toushirou's eyebrow twitched.

"Doubtful I would've believed him in the first place." The dragon woman snorted, and she sauntered back to her then. "I'm Momo, by the way, Momo Kira. Toushirou is my little brother, and behind me is my husband Izuru. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you- … I cannot believe my rudeness. What is your name?"

"Karin, former hunter," she responded with a grin. It'd felt better than she thought to say it- former hunter. The proclamation seemed to have made her desertion even more real and, consequently, gave her a sense of freedom she never knew existed. The Kurosaki name had been heavier than she'd ever known and it was fantastic for her to be without its burden. "It's wonderful to meet you, Missus Kira. Toushirou never told me he had a sister, so this is a pleasant surprise."

She watched as Momo lamely turned to Toushirou. "It's just like you to fall head over heels for someone that can kill you, and to neglect to mention me. At least she's mannerly, unlike a certain individual."

"I would apologize under normal circumstances, however, this is far from a normal circumstance and I'm hopelessly in love. Please try to understand." He responded. "But how did you even find us?"

"Izuru and I were on our way to your cave, and we stumbled across your scent here and it smelled so strongly of sex, I absolutely needed to investigate who you decided to mate with. And you know the rest."

"You smelled sex and thought it was a good time to visit?" He responded dryly. Momo cleared her throat then.

"In hindsight, perhaps I should've taken that into consideration."

Toushirou pushed himself to his feet then and sighed, and his sister hugged him. "Whatever now, I suppose. You've met my beloved, and she knows of your existence now, so all is fine."

"Yes. Take care now, my dearest brother." She watched then as Momo's eyes narrowed into dangerous crescents. "And if I discover you're treating your lover as Sousuke treated me, your head is mine." She snarled, and she watched as Toushirou shuddered.

"I expect you to wed Karin sometime in the near future. I assume if you have enough time to rut you can marry the girl. Good night, you two. I'll visit soon again. When you two aren't uh… well, I assume you know." She and Izuru disappeared out of the doorway then, and there was silence between her and Toushirou.

"Your sister is… intriguing." She smiled at Toushirou. "I hope I get to see her again soon."

"You will. She frequently visited me even after she married. She'll pester me until I marry you, however." He sighed.

She opened her mouth to ask who the Sousuke his sister mentioned was, and then she frowned. It wasn't Toushirou's right to tell her something she was sure was personal and grievous, which she assumed it was if it triggered such a violent reaction. She noted to make sure to nicely query her possible future sister-in-law the next time she visited.

"But she's completely ruined the mood…" Toushirou groaned in his dissatisfaction.

She smirked then, pulled him over her and kissed him passionately, and he near immediately melted into her. "I'm sure something can be done about that." She purred, and he smiled against her lips as they fell to the floor.

* * *

Another month passed, and as Toushirou promised her, Momo and Izuru visited frequently. She liked them, despite that Momo badgered Toushirou to marry her for at least half of the visit. But she knew after she was told that Momo's previous husband had not only forced her into promiscuous activities outside of wedlock that nearly ruined her reputation, but he also tried to kill her when she tried to leave the abusive marriage, that her possible future sister-in-law simply wanted to ensure Toushirou stayed faithful to her and was held accountable for his actions. Not that he was anything remotely like Sousuke, but in an era which both sides of a bitter war captured the enemy and enslaved them to work in camps or act as sex slaves in combination her own traumatic experiences, Momo's reaction was understandable. Her boundless concern warmed her heart. She was like the older sister she never had and it was difficult not to love her.

Draconic society, told to her by her newfound family, was much like humanity's. It was patriarchal, belligerent, racist, greedy, and it's values established by its religion old and obsolete. It was ironic, somehow, how the beings made out to be her enemy were hardly different from her people. The only differences between the societies were that nudity was less frowned upon while in her former home bare ankles were promiscuous if a woman wasn't married and that tattoos to dragons were the same as marriage vows to humans- and apparently they meant something, but Momo and Izuru wouldn't tell her what theirs' meant and Toushirou didn't know either.

Eventually, they decided to hold a private ceremony with just themselves, Momo, and Izuru as the priest. She cried, and for once it alright to. In her former home, it was inexcusable for a hunter to cry for any reason, and as the only female hunter in history there had been even more pressure for her to maintain a colder, more ruthless demeanor than even the men to prove she was just as good as they were. But it was alright to then, Momo had told her. She wasn't expected to feel how a man or a woman 'should' feel; she was expected to feel how she desired and if she wanted to cry at her wedding then so should she.

Though, she thought one morning, she did miss her family. But it was for the best she completely disappeared. Perhaps it had been accepted by then that she'd died. She hoped so. She didn't want to tarnish her mother's name, all she wanted was to live her life with Toushirou.

He collected her into a hug from behind her then and pulled her from her reminiscence, and he kissed her artery. "I love you so much." He murmured into her neck, and her lips spread into wide smile.

There was a loud crash then, and he was pulled off her and thrown aside.

"Get off my sister you repulsive beast!" She heard, and she recognized it as her brother's voice, and he spun her around and wrapped her in a brotherly hug. "I told you it would come for you, you fool." He said breathlessly as he pet her crown. "I'm so sorry we didn't find you earlier. I'm sure that monster no less than tormented you!"

Her chest swelled in her fury then. She pushed herself out of her brother's embrace, wound her fist back, and slammed her knuckles into his teeth.

"You're lucky I don't have my sword with me, you steaming pile of cow shit! Otherwise I'd knock your head off your shoulders!" She shrieked, and she pulled Ichigo up and shook him by his collar. "That beast, as you so call him, is my husband! I have no shame in saying so, and I shan't allow you to spit on Toushirou's good name because of your ignorance!"

"No! She lies, I've brainwashed her to serve my whims. She's just saying that to save me!" Toushirou shouted, and she turned and threw the dragon threw the wall.

"Do not shit on my autonomy as well, Toushirou." She snarled, and she squawked as Ichigo tackled her and as the two other hunters subdued Toushirou.

"You absolute moron!" Her brother hissed, and his voice faltered just the slightest she noted. "Take her back to the stronghold, and lock her up! Leave me with that disgusting beast."

"You touch my husband, Ichigo, and you'll beg for Hell's reprieve after I've finished with you!" She bellowed as she thrashed under him. Her brother slammed her face into the ground then and she blacked out.

* * *

She groaned then, her face ached and her skull throbbed. Her head lolled forward, chin hit her collar, and she peeled her eyes open. She frowned. She sat in a dark cell, chained to the wall like an animal, and her nostrils flared as her memory flooded back to her.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" She shrieked, and the heavy door to her cell creaked open, and her brother stepped inside.

"You're as noisy as ever." He remarked as he strode to her, and he crouched in front of her. His eyes, she thought, how tenderly he gazed at her. Ichigo did love his family, he was hardly a villain, but he was ignorant, she thought. Ignorant and brainwashed, just like the rest of his clan. It was possibly what made him so formidable; he refused to believe anything outside of what a priest told him.

"Karin…" he sighed, tucked her hair behind her ear as he blinked back tears, and she snapped her teeth at his hand. Even if he loved her, she thought, it didn't pardon his sins. "Karin, please, I know you're in there somewhere. I don't know what that… depraved thing did to you, but you can recover from it and move on, and our clan will accept you back once you execute it."

She glared at him through her lashes as her rage no less than boiled her blood. "You're damn straight I still have my individuality still intact. I fell for Toushirou of my own free will, Ichigo, and that won't change. I'll stare death in the face and grin if it means I stand by my values. I refuse to live a coward's life." She growled. "Leave, I refuse to listen to your bullshit. Tell the counsel I'm to be executed at dawn. And don't come to my execution. I can hardly look at you without wanting to vomit." She spat in his eye then, and he slammed his eyes shut. He looked hurt, she thought as she watched as he spun to his feet and stormed out, but she hardly could've brought herself to care then.

Ichigo turned to look at her from the doorway, cold and distant. "I should mention that your husband- as you so call that thing that ruined you-; I've destroyed it to the same extent it destroyed you."

Tears sprung to her eyes, and she lurched forward until her chains snapped taut. "What did you do to Toushirou!? You sick piece of shit, I swear I'll haunt you if you dared to lay a hand on so much as a strand of his hair! You hear me Ichigo!? I'll curse your line for eons if you dared hurt him!"

The door slammed shut, and she was left in darkness. She bowed her head then and sat on her legs, and she silently wept for her husband. Whatever her brother did to Toushirou, she thought, he was either dead or wished he was. And though she knew it wasn't her fault- they'd both consented to their relationship with full knowledge of the consequences if caught-, guilt still weighed heavy on her heart.

It opened again moments later, and Uryuu stepped inside dressed in his priest's robes with a stool and bible in his hands. She pursed her lips as he sat before her.

"Take a hike. I don't want to talk with the damn Church." She spat.

"Karin, I'm your family. I'm not here for the church I'm here as your brethren."

"It's simply fantastic to see the personification of prejudice here before me." She deadpanned. "Get out."

"No. You've gone absolutely mad, and if Ichigo was unable to snap you back to reality then I must try." Uryuu said.

She snorted. "Leave. I don't care what you all think of me, I'm not 'repenting' for jackshit. If I go to Hell, fine. I'd rather be there instead of some 'Heaven' that requires taking lives to get into."

"Karin, think about Masaki. The poor woman's been through enough, your death would destroy her, and you have no right to do that. Recant your beliefs and say you'll atone for your misguidance so she doesn't have to go through more pain."

"You fools do a lot of things that destroy others' lives, but that hardly seems to stop you."

"Disregard that for now and listen to what I'm saying." He growled. "Your mother. This is about your mother. It's an even worse sin to deny one's mother than fraternizing with the enemy. Karin, she's lost her parents, her husband, and your twin, all in her lifetime. Don't be so foolish as to make her lose more."

She rolled her eyes then. "Your manipulative arguments fall on deaf ears. If she stands with the church, then she is against me, and if she stands with me then I'm sure she'll understand my decision."

"Karin, I don't care which side she's on. This is about her losing you." Uryuu retorted. "Please, repent for her. I don't care if it's sincere or not but she needs you and Ichigo."

She frowned then. Perhaps, she thought, he had a point. She would've been forced to retire as a hunter anyway so she wouldn't have had to kill, and Masaki would need help as she grew older. She owed it to her mother to stay alive.

Her brow furrowed. No, Masaki would've understood. She didn't execute her father because she regretted their affair, she executed him to save her and her late twin. Perhaps it could've been construed as Masaki's efforts gone to waste, but her mother had always supported her in her decisions. She supported her when she wanted to join the hunters, supported her as she climbed the ranks and faced down her enemies and so-called allies alike, and she was sure she supported her autonomy then.

"Leave, Uryuu. You're wasting your time, nothing you say will change my mind. I'll see you in the morning."

He stood, picked up his stool, and left, and the door shut her into darkness as it closed.

* * *

She'd fallen asleep at some point, and she was woken by the creak of the door. She immediately flew to attention, and she glared at the shady figure that approached her from the midnight shadows, and her eyes widened in her bewilderment as they sat before her and lit a candle between them.

"Orihime?" She whispered. "What the hell are you here for? If you're seen, you may be charged with treason."

"Which was why I asked Ichigo. I said I wanted to say my goodbyes, and he said I could so long as only the guard saw me. Heretic or not, Karin, you're still my family."

She snorted then. "So? Say your goodbyes, now. I won't be seeing you again after sunrise."

Orihime smiled then, and she raised her eyebrow. "You act like I'm disappointed in you. Karin, you're inspirational, even if I don't fully understand. I was too weak to go against Ichigo, but here you are. You've spit in his face and punched him and told him that you couldn't care less about what he thought. Karin, it takes bravery to go against what you've known all your life. You're true to yourself and yourself only, and it's admirable."

She smiled gently at her sister-in-law then. "You're too kind."

"I've realized." She responded slowly, and she sighed. "I suppose I should inform you that Ichigo is your executioner. When Masaki was told about it, she disowned him then and there. I wish you could've seen her- she was livid. She said if he would kill his own kin, then he is unwanted as a Kurosaki and that should he ever come near her again after the execution else she would tear off his limbs and cut out his tongue so he may do nothing but ruminate his sins. When he tried to argue, she threw him out by the seat of his pants."

She smirked then and cackled softly. "Good. He deserves a good verbal lashing." She frowned then. "What will you be doing? You two are wedded."

"I… I'm unsure." Orihime confessed sadly. "I love Ichigo very much, I do. But he's a fool, Karin, and a terribly close-minded one. I love him, but I can't lay with the one that's killed you in good conscious."

Her shoulders wilted. "My brother has caused you more than enough grief by now, and I'm so sorry. You deserve better."

"I promise he isn't being malicious. He just… doesn't want somebody who doesn't love you like he does- and he does love you, Karin. You and Masaki mean the world to him and he was crushed when you deserted- to execute you. Opinions of you are far from positive, especially amongst the hunters and many would love to execute the most infamous traitor to walk among us themselves. He wants you to die knowing you're loved. It's twisted, I know, but I suppose his reasons are noble considering the circumstances." She responded dolefully. Her sister-in-law hugged her then, and mindful of her shackles she returned the gesture.

"The dragon." She whispered before Orihime pulled away, "is he alive?"

"... worse for wear, but alive, yes. Ichigo was unkind, and I wasn't allowed inside to treat the poor creature." Orihime murmured in response. "I hear Ichigo will execute them too after you. He'll want to 'avenge' you, I'm sure. Though we both know more of it is displaced guilt, he's always needed a scapegoat for his sins."

Tears brimmed her eyes then, and she bowed her head. Orihime stood then and silently left. She shuddered as she wept. It wasn't her fault, she reminded herself. She and Toushirou both knew the consequences of their actions and still agreed to stay with each other. But she still felt so guilty then.

She didn't dare sleep, and when morning came the priest and several hunters came into her cell. She rose to her feet, and her chains were unlocked and clattered gracelessly to the ground.

"Put this on, Karin." Uryuu said as he handed her a folded baptism dress. She snorted then.

"How ironic." She chuckled as she snatched the dress from his. "I've always found it bizarre that we drown traitors instead of behead them like dragons." She tore her prisoner's wear off, and the hunters turned their backs to her after their initial surprise. "The Church has to save face, am I right? Poor bastards didn't see how corrupt this god-forsaken clan is, they were misguided and need to be led back to Yhwach, the one true god. Newsflash: you fools are the mislead ones. The Church just wants the draconian gold to fund its lavish lifestyle and maintain its control. We're just suckers to them."

"Oh, shut up." Gerard snarled, and she laughed bitterly.

"Hit too close to home? Oh well, I'll be gone from this wretched plane soon anyway, I'm sure your faith with survive. I'm dressed."

The hunters looped their arms through her's- and none of them dared look her in the eye, she saw. Not even Bazzard, her old friend from the academy-, and she yanked back, glared them down and snarled. "Touch me again, and you'll lose your arms. I have two legs and a sense of dignity, I can walk on my own, you steaming piles of shit."

She looked forward then, and she sauntered before her escorts out of the dungeon she was so familiar with, and the baggy skirt of her execution dress whipped between her thighs in the windstorm as she paraded across the cobblestone before her former friends and loved ones. It was odd, she thought, the last they had an execution they jeered and threw rotten vegetables.

But it was perfectly still then, absolute silence outside of the whistle of the wind, and she smirked to herself. Her desertion must've landed a serious blow to morale for her former clan, or perhaps it was that she walked with such fiery intensity and remorselessness that it took them off guard. She was revolutionary; she was the first female hunter, the only woman of her age amongst the humans unmarried, capable of everything a man was, and the first to deny the Church and her family. She was either respected for her strength and uniqueness or cause for such stupefaction that nobody knew what to do with her then.

She was proud then, she thought, and she was sure others would follow in her footsteps.

She was lead to the lake onto a platform, and she again tossed off the hunters whom tried to sit her in the chair she was to be drowned in. She had honor, she thought, and the bravery to stand with her morals even if it meant she died with them.

Uryuu stood over her then, tipped her head back and placed his hand over her eyes with a bible in the other, and she sunk her teeth into his finger. He cried out and back-peddled, and she rolled her eyes as he shook his hand as if to alleviate the pain.

"Keep your 'blessings' the hell away from me. I sure as hell don't want to go anywhere near your Heaven." She snorted as she spat on the platform. "Get on with it!"

"Do you have any last words?" The executioner asked, and she knew that voice, and she barked out a laugh. At least, she thought, Orihime hadn't lied to her.

"So humiliated that you have to execute me yourself, Ichigo? Dragon hunter pride is so fragile." She smirked.

She looked out to the crowd then, and she smiled after she couldn't find her mother. Masaki didn't need to watch.

"I don't regret anything!" She screeched. "Those are my last words, and record them well. Tell your children and your children's children about the audacious hunter who didn't regret her marriage with the love of her life!" She whipped to Ichigo. "Get on with it, you pathetic child. I've got an impending appointment with Heaven!"

Ichigo pulled the lever then, she she plunged into the depths of the lake. Her muscles seized as the cold gripped her and water filled her lungs, and she smiled to herself. The light above grew dimmer and dimmer as her mortality was squeezed from her. She would've happily died in the waters that changed her life, she thought, the water that gave her love and freedom. The lake had inadvertently given her Toushirou after he rescued her, and it would be the thing to give them happiness in the afterlife.

Her lids drooped as she grew weaker. She and Toushirou would've been together for the rest of eternity in little time, she thought, and she swore she even felt his arms around her as she ascended into Heaven and-

She spewed out the water as she shot into the air, and her eyes flung open. She was midair and in the arms of Toushirou she saw, alive and mostly well outside of the weepy lesions across his chest and the ice-patched holes in his wings. Tears flowed freely in her relief, but before she could've voice her jubilation, a javelin whizzed past them and narrowly missed. She looked over his shoulder and saw Momo and Izuru as they created havoc on shore as well as hunters who prevented their escape. The second javelin didn't miss, pierced straight through his wing, and he screeched as they plummeted into the lake. They swam to the surface and sputtered as they crawled onto the mud, and Kisuke- she wasn't sure how he got there but she wasn't about to complain- pulled them onto the grass.

"Come now, my children, we must make haste." He said as he helped them to their feet.

"Karin!"

She whipped around to meet the voice and gasped as her executioner- Ichigo raced towards her, and she cussed. "Kisuke, take Toushirou far away from here. He's injured and needs treatment." She snarled lowly. "I'll catch up with you after I've finished with him."

"Karin-" Toushirou started, and she dismissed it with a wave.

"There's something I need to say anyways. Go on, I'll be fine."

"My child," Kisuke said breathlessly, and he pulled a sword from behind him- her sword- and threw it to her. She caught it, nodded her thanks to the immortal, and he left.

She raised her sword as Ichigo tore off his hood, and she was surprised- though not all that much- that tears flowed from his eyes.

"Karin, come now, please don't make this any harder than this has to be." He pleaded.

"Shut your mouth and wipe your tears, you pathetic whelp! You've invalidated me for years, tortured my husband, dared an attempt on my life and consequently humiliated our mother even more, and you've methodically killed for as long as you've lived. Consider this is retribution for your crimes, I'll beat you into contrition!" She bellowed.

She charged, and he shielded himself with the broad side of Zangetsu; the supposed 'holy sword' used by Yhwach in his life to mow down his enemies, and sparks flew from the metal. If a sword- the embodiment of bloodshed and war- could've been venerated, she thought, then she would march into Hell's open arms like it was her mother's embrace. She wasn't so parroty and adherent as her brother.

She slammed her foot into Ichigo's trunk, and he grunted as he stumbled back. He recovered quickly and swung his sword at her, and she leapt over it, flipped, and stomped on the crown of his head. He teetered then as she landed behind him behind him and drove her elbow into his back and then attempted to knock Zangetsu out of his hand, albeit unsuccessfully. He reorientated himself, aimed a swing for her face, and she cartwheeled and kicked her heel into his wrist. He dropped Zangetsu then, and she swiped his feet out from under him. He fell, and he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her with him. With his free hand, he punched at her, and she grabbed his fist and twisted until she heard bone snap. He tried to push himself away, but she kneed his face and felt his nose crush under her. She pulled herself to her feet and him by his hair, and she punched him thrice before she threw him to the ground. And he was a bloodied pulp, she saw, so bruised and swollen that not even their mother would've recognized him.

He spat out teeth then. "Do it, kill me. I won't cease hunting you until you do." He snarled between narrowed eyes, and she scoffed.

"Please, I've had half the nerve to actually learn from my mistakes. Killing you would only shit on my progress." She snorted. "Listen close. You can come after me all you want, but you've lost everything now. Your family, and I'm sure your reputation and your position won't be much after this. You couldn't even kill a little girl, after all. Cease and desist, because there are others who aren't so kind as me and who will kill you if you pursue me."

She stood then, combed her fingers through her hair as she walked away, and she shook out her bloodied knuckles. Toushirou dropped from the sky before her then and peppered kisses across her face as he embraced her, and she smiled softly at his return. He bolted into the sky, and she huddled close to him. She knew Ichigo wouldn't listen and would hunt for her again, but she was prepared, she thought.

"Do you regret anything?" Toushirou cooed, and she shook her head.

"No. and I never will."


End file.
